Patchwork
by DoingItForJohnny
Summary: Cherry's point of view during the book. Takes place before the book, right where Johnny got jumped.
1. Chapter 1

**So, guys, this is my very first fanfiction, so be nice. I've been writing for several years but I've never written about the Outsiders, so this is definitely new material for me. Hope you enjoy this!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders. All rights belong to S.E. Hinton.**

**Summary: What were Cherry's thoughts during the book? How did she feel about everything that happened? This starts before the book, right when Johnny gets jumped.**

**Cherry's POV:**

He loves me, he loves me not. That's how I feel when it comes to Bob. One minute he could be sweet, and the next I feel like he doesn't care how I feel at all. I tell him not to drink, that I don't want him drunk when he's around me, but he doesn't seem to care. I wonder if he realizes how much it hurts me. Honestly, sometimes I think he cares about no one but himself. I don't know what it is about him that I just can't seem to stop caring about him. I don't see me ever breaking up with him, at least no where in the near future, and I can't stay mad at him for longer than a day.

In fact, he's coming over tonight, and he better be sober or he's leaving. If he even shows up, that is. He was already twenty minutes late. I swear, sometimes I think he looks for things to fight about. It doesn't really give me confidence in our relationship. When I heard the doorbell ringing, I almost didn't answer it, but like I said, I can't stay away from him. I opened the door to see Bob standing there, smiling his devilish smile. The first thing I noticed besides that smile, was the blood on his clothes.

"Bob, what happened to you?" I cried out, as he came through the door. His smile never vanished.

"Come on. Don't worry, baby. It's not my blood." he said. Well, at least he wasn't drunk, but what the hell did he mean by it wasn't his blood? Who's blood was it? He laughed at me. I was becoming angry. How dare he laugh at me like I was a child!

"Oh, Cherry, you need to relax. It was a blast jumping that little greaser. I've never seen anybody so scared." he said. He laughed again, and it reminded me of an evil villian's laugh.

"Oh my god, Bob! Why do you do that all the time? It's awful!" I said, raising my voice.

"It was only a greaser. He was maybe fourteen, and he was scared out of his mind. We got that piece of trash good, left him lying in an old lot, unconscious. It was by far the best jumping we've ever pulled off." He bragged. I stared him down. I could not believe he got pleasure out of this kind of thing.

"Get out!" I said, curtly. I couldn't even stand to look at him right then.

"Are you serious?" he asked, his smile finally vanishing.

"Yes, get out now!" I screamed.

"Fine, but I don't see why you care so much about those greasers." he said, loudly, as he stormed out my front door and slammed it behind him.

I put my face in my hands. I hoped that kid was okay. Maybe I was a soc, and maybe he was a greaser, but I didn't see why it mattered so much to everyone. In the end, we're all just people who want the same things, to love and to be loved. Bob's different, but at the same time he's just like everybody else. He's different because he's a leader, but he's the same because all he cares about is who has money, and who doesn't. I'm sick of everybody being so shallow. I just want somebody who's not hiding behind the booze and the money. Somebody who doesn't act like they've got it all together, when it reality they don't. Somebody who's real!

**So what do you think. Like it? Hate it? Give me your feedback. I would really appreciate it. Review! Do it for Johnny! :)**


	2. Different

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders. All credit goes to S.E. Hinton.**

**Okay, so this chapters a little longer. Hope you like it.**

It had been months since Bob jumped that kid. Bob and I were on good terms again, of course. He had completely forgotten about the kid he beat up, but I thought about it every once in a while. One time, I even asked Bob if he knew the kid's name. He hadn't. That probably made it easier to jump him, less personal. He didn't know the kid's name, so it was almost like he wasn't a real person.

I had a date with Bob again. We were going to double date with Marcia and Randy at the drive-in. Still to this day, I have no idea why we went to The Dingo. It's a greaser hangout. Socs usually go to The Way Out or to Rusty's, but Bob drove to The Dingo, and I never got to find out why. Marcia and I sat in Randy's blue mustang, trying to watch the movie. It wasn't easy though considering the boys were drinking. It's not just something they do every once in a while. It's something they've become dependent on, and that scares me.

We left once they became obnoxious. My idea of a good time is not to sit in a drive-in and watch people get drunk. We walked off, with Bob screaming after us, and Marcia softly protesting. I think that there was a part of her that wanted to stay with them. We sat in the seats people use when they don't have a car. There are usually greasers in these seats, and it was making me a little uneasy. Especially when a hood behind us was hitting on me. There were three kids sitting behind us, but it was just that one kid, the oldest it looked like, who wouldn't leave us alone. He strolled off casually when I told him to get lost.

I spun around to face what looked like the youngest boy. "You gonna start in on us now too?" I asked.

His eyes got a little bigger. I think he might have been scared of me. "No." he said, shaking his head. I had to smile at his innocence.

"You don't look the type, anyway. What's your name?" I asked.

He looked a kinda reluctant to tell me. "Ponyboy Curtis." he mumbled.

Well, no wonder he was reluctant. That was quiet a name. "That's an original and lovely name." I commented.

"Yeah, well, my dad was an original person. I've got a brother named Sodapop, and it says so on his birth certificate." he explained. Oh, I knew Sodapop all right. He was beyond cute. I had seen him down at that DX station enough to know that girls swarmed like bees to the honeycomb. "My name's Sherri, but my friends call me Cherry 'cause of my hair." I explained.

"Yeah, I know. You're a cheerleader. We go to the same school." he said.

"You don't look old enough to be going to high school." Marcia spoke my own thoughts. I had almost forgotten she was there.

"I'm not. I got put up a year in grade school." he explained. He wasn't bragging, only telling the truth. Huh, a smart greaser. You didn't see that everyday. Come to think of it, you didn't see that _ever_. We made more small talk until one of Ponyboy's friends came back. I had seen him around school a few times. Greaser, black hair, black eyes, the same jeans jacket. I think his name was Johnny Cade. He said hi to me, and I realized that that was the first time I ever heard him speak. He looked nervous. I guess it wasn't everyday he talked to a soc like me. He looked harmless, so I knew I could relax.

The relaxing didn't last for long though because Dallas Winston came back. He handed me a coke, and I threw it in his face. He gave me a smile that sent chills up my spine, but I played it off as cool as I could. He went to put his arm around me, but Johnny stopped him. I was surprised, and I could see that Ponyboy was too. I guess Johnny doesn't usually speak up like that. I was grateful though. Dallas scared me.

"Thanks. He had me scared to death." I said. He smiled at me.

"You sure didn't show it. Nobody talks to Dally like that." he said, in kind of an admiring way.

"From what I saw, you do." I said. I could tell I embarrassed him when I said that. We asked them to sit with us and protect us, and I knew they were eager to do it. We sat watching the movie for a while until strong hands came down on Johnny and Ponyboys's shoulders. For one horrific moment, I thought it was Bob, and I don't know why that scared me so much. It was almost like a premonition. It sure scared Johnny too. I could see him shaking. But when they turned around, they relaxed. They knew him. His name was Two-Bit.

As I sat there, I realized how much fun I was having. More fun than I thought I would have, and the ironic thing was I wasn't even with Bob. These boys were real, who had seen the real world and didn't have money to get them out of every little problem. I secretely wished this night would never end. For once in what seemed like forever, I was with people who cared more about the people around them than where their next drink was coming from. We may not have been cut from the same piece of cloth, but at that moment it didn't matter.

**Well? Review! Please! If you don't want to do it for me, then Do it for Johnny!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders. All rights belong to S.E. Hinton.**

I had asked Ponyboy to come get some popcorn with me. I really didn't want to go alone, and I needed to ask him something that I couldn't ask in front of the other guys. I was also afraid that Dallas was still around here somewhere. He jumped up as soon as I asked him, and I instantly felt guilty. He liked me. That wasn't hard to guess, and I was leading him on. We could never be together, and it wasn't just because I was with Bob. We weren't from the same class. No one else would understand that he was a sweet kid. Quite frankly, no one cared. They didn't see anything past the greasy hair. Everyone was staring at us as though we shouldn't be caught dead with each other. I just ignored them, but I could tell it was bothering Ponyboy.

"Your friend- the one with the sideburns- he's okay?" I asked, just to start up a conversation.

"He ain't dangerous like Dallas if that's what you mean. He's okay." He stated. I smiled. No one's as dangerous as Dallas. Besides, I figured he was harmless. Now came the real question that was on my mind.

"Johnny... he's been hurt bad sometime, hasn't he? Hurt and scared." I said. The look in Ponyboy's eyes proved that I was right. I figured his home life probably had something to do with his uneasiness, but it was more than that. He was always glancing over his shoulder like at any minute he was going to be punched. And the way he jumped when Two-Bit snuck up on them was what really made me realize just how nervous he was. His fear was almost palpable.

"It was the Socs." He said. I was surprised, but at the same time, I wasn't. Socs loved to beat up on greasers, everyone knew that. I just found it surprising that it had scarred him so much. I suddenly remembered the scar I saw on his face. Was that from the socs? I had to know, and at the time I didn't know why. But now I realize that a part of me knew who did it.

"Is that how he got his scar?" I asked as innocently as I could.

"Yeah, the guy was wearing a few rings." he said. I had to tell myself to keep breathing. It was Bob. Why was that such a surprise to me? I guess maybe because I now knew just who Bob was talking about when he was bragging about beating some kid up. But Johnny. Why him? He seemed like such a sweet kid. What was the purpose for hurting him? Then I realized they didn't need a reason. Bob was a soc, and Johnny was a greaser. That was all that mattered.

We went back and watched the movie through again. It was nice to sit there with them, even if they were greasers. When the movie was over Marcia and I suddenly realized that we didn't have a car. Two-Bit offered to walk us home. We finally came to the desicion that we would go to Two-Bit's house to get his car, and he would drive us home. On the way to his house, Two-Bit and Marcia were having a conversation of their own, so Ponyboy and I talked about various different things. Johnny just kind of kept to himself most of the time. The more I listened to Ponyboy talk the more I realized that he shouldn't be labeled a greaser. He was too smart and nice to be a greaser.

I was so absorbed in my conversation with him that I was almost startled when Marcia gasped. "Cherry, look what's coming." she said. I turned to see Bob's blue mustang coming towards us. Johnny kind of whimpered, probably remembering the beating Bob gave him. Fortunately, they passed us right by, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I asked Ponyboy what his oldest brother was like. It was more than obvious that he admired Soda, but I personally admired Darry. He gave up everything so that his brothers could stay together. That was the most selfless thing I had ever heard of. "I bet he wishes he could stick me in a home somewhere, and he'd do it , too, if Soda'd let him" he ranted. I was sure he was wrong.

"No... No, Ponyboy, that ain't right...you got it wrong..." Two-Bit stuttered.

"I thought you and Darry and Soda got along real well." Johnny said, softly.

"Well, we don't. An' you can shut your trap Johnny Cade, 'cause we all know you ain't wanted at home, either. And you can't blame them." Ponyboy snapped. Woah! What on earth was going on? I had no idea the subject of his oldest brother was so touchy. If I had, I wouldn't have said anything. I actually felt sort of guilty, standing there like that. I felt like I was intruding on some personal conversation.

Once again, the mustang was coming our way. Only this time, they spotted us. We ended up going with them, not because I wanted to, but because I was afraid a fight was going to break out. I'll never forget the look on Johnny's face when he saw Bob. We left them standing there on the sidewalk as we drove away. I was giving Bob the cold shoulder, or trying to, but what I mainly wanted to do, was yell at him.

"Cherry, I can't believe you were hanging out with those bums!" Bob shouted.

"They aren't bums, and do you have any idea who that one kid was?" I screamed back. I wanted to know if he even remembered how badly he had hurt Johnny.

"Yeah, I remember him. What the hell does that matter! He's a greaser!"

"So what? He's still a person. More so than you it seems!" Those boys were more real that any soc I had ever hung out with. We had reached my house, and I hopped out of the car, slamming the door behind me.

"Ya know, we're gonna go find those good for nothin' hoods." he called after me. I spun around to face him.

"You better not!" I screamed. He smiled at me. That drunk evil smile that makes me so sick. I sighed. "Bob, you'll never learn, will you? Just cause you've never been caught hurting someone, doesn't mean you never will." I said, tiredly. I was getting awful tired of his games.

He laughed right out loud as he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. I'm invincible, baby." he roared, as he sped off down the road. I watched the car speed down the road until it was out of sight. Whatever, I thought, if he wanted to go hunting for them then what could I do. Besides, what was the worst that could happen?

If only I had known.

**Okay, so I hope this holds you over for a while because I'm not going to have access to a computer for a week. I'll try and update as soon as I get back. Just make sure you review so that I know you want me to continue.**

**P.S. I am the worst speller in the world, so if you notice any mistakes, just let me know. :D**


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